In This Article
This blog post examines electric floor heating energy consumption, demonstrating that bathroom floor heating costs approximately $14.05/month to operate (86.4 kWh/month at $0.1626/kWh) for a typical 100 sq ft master bathroom with 60 sq ft heated area running 4 hours daily. Wondering if electric floor heating is worth it overall? Read our electric radiant floor heating pros, cons and costs guide for the complete breakdown. The post compares this favorably to common household appliances, showing floor heating uses less energy than clothes dryers (90 kWh/$14.63), refrigerators (180 kWh/$29.27), and significantly less than pool pumps (1,240 kWh/$201.62) or water heaters (411 kWh/$66.78), while noting that space heating accounts for 12% of U.S. residential electricity consumption and the average home uses 29.4 kWh/day.
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Is the math off in this article. 4.2 kwh x $.012 equals?
4.2 kwh x $0.12 = $0.504 per day
That's a very good catch and no the math isn't wrong in the article but we could have been much clearer about how that number was arrived at (because you're right that 4.2 kWh x $0.12 per kWh = $0.504). We're editing the article to make it clearer but basically it boils down to this: typically, the system isn't "on" all the time during it's operation. The control will cycle the system on and off in order to reach the correct temperature (this is called a "duty cycle") and it's in place to prevent unnecessary energy use. Thanks for reading and let us know if you have any other questions!
how does "would use 19.2 kWh per day or 585.6 kWh per month" at $0.12 per kWh equal $30/month?
That's a great question. The answer is related to the example of the smaller bathroom (35 sq. ft.) that is in the post above this one. The idea is that the system isn't actually "on" the entire duration of it's operation because it needs to cycle on and off to regulate the temperature. It's an imperfect system but we use the kWh metric (even though the system isn't on all of the time) because it's the easiest way for people to get a rough idea of operating costs themselves.
Thank you for your response. If it's plugged in and set to 72F automatic how many kWh a month will it use on average? thank you
Unfortunately, I can't give you a concrete answer to this question because it depends on a number of variables including the ambient temperature of the room and the amount of heat loss the room experiences. But there is a way to use our Operating Cost Calculator to get a rough estimate: https://www.warmlyyours.com/floor-heating/cost-calculator. Just fill in your project details (like the square footage and zipcode for local kWh cost), then take the monthly total and divide that by your local kWh cost. That should give you a really rough idea of how many kWh we'd expect the system to use. You can always give us a call at 1-800-875-5285 and our Radiant Experts can help further. Hope this helps!
Which is most economical to run: Electric or water heater? Tank or tankless?
Thanks for the question! The answer generally depends on the application. If you're looking to install floor heating in your entire home then hydronic (heated water) based systems will likely be the most economical to run. However, if you're just looking to heat a room, then electric may be more economical to run because it doesn't require any upkeep or maintenance and with the use of a programmable thermostat, electric can be very efficient.